Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) was an American writer of children's books. He was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. His Rollo Books, such as Rollo at Work (1837) and Rollo at Play (1837) are the best known of his writings, having as their chief characters a representative boy and his associates. His other works include: The Teacher; or, Moral Influences Employed in the Instruction and Government of the Young (1833), Rollo on the Atlantic (1853), Rollo in Paris (1854), Rollo on the Rhine (1855), Georgie (1855), Rollo in Holland (1856), Rollo in Rome (1858), Rollo in Switzerland (1858), Rollo in the Woods and Peter the Great.